The Land Before Time: Father From Beyond
by thesoutherncross100
Summary: A little something I decided to do with one of my characters; Bryan Forbes. When Littlefoot and his Gang Of Five get wind of their parents' whereabouts, they embark on a journey to rescue them. Joining them for the trip is their long time human companion and protector; Bryan.
1. Prologue

**Prologue  
A Bit Of A Jiffy**

The scene shows a prosperous valley populated with herbivorous dinosaurs. Several Sauropods could be seen feeding on the trees while Triceratopses ate the bushes nearby. At the edge of the valley's main river, several Saurolophuses quenched their thirst as their children played in the water. It was like the real life version of paradise. Heaven on Earth.

No other place in the realm of dinosaurs could compare to this Valley, which was known as the Great Valley. Unlike other valleys nearby, the Great Valley was protected by an unseen force, preventing climate change from touching the insides. The wall around the valley also kept predatory dinosaurs out, leaving the inhabitants safe from attacks. Despite this disruption in the food chain, there was never a real shortage of food source for the herbivores.

Trees and greenery grew at breakneck speed, replenishing the depleted areas within a matter of hours. It was possibly the only location in the realm where the food chain was not required to keep things in check. The flora grew as quickly as the fauna fed. Everyone had full bellies most of the time. In an open area of the Great Valley which was surrounded by forests on all four sides, was a shack.

It belonged to a human by the name of Bryan. Five years ago, he was merely a visitor visiting the realm of dinosaurs but now, he had a shelter in one of the most prosperous area in the land. A portal had been built inside the shack, allowing him to travel freely between the realm and the 21st century. A shed was connected to the shack and in the shed were gun racks, and maintenance equipment for firearms and the shack.

On the racks were weapons from the Vietnam War. Everything from the M1 Garands and Carbines used by the South Vietnamese, to the M14 and M16 rifles used by US troops when they went from being advisors to full-fledged fighting men. One of these rifles was a XM16E1, which was a prototype M16A1. This was Bryan's personal "queen". Not a safe queen, but a queen which he took good care of.

Every time he returned home after carrying the gun on long treks, he would clean the weapon thoroughly before placing it on his gun rack. Yes, he would not and did not hesitate to bring his little queen out on his expeditions. In fact, Bryan saw it as a necessity that he carry the XM16E1 since he usually walked around in old style Vietnam Era gear and uniform.

A young Apatosaurus walks into the shack and nuzzles Bryan in the side. Just one look on the youngling's face was enough for the human to know he had something to tell.

 **"** **Dad."** He said. **"I think… They found our parents."**

 **"** **Our parents?"** the human scratches his head.

 **"** **My friends' and mine."**

 **"** **Ahh… Who told you this?"**

 **"** **Cera did."**

 **"** **How can be so sure?"**

 **"** **Because Petrie's mother just arrived in the valley and she told her that she had been part of the herd our parents were travelling in."**

 **"** **And?"**

 **"** **According to her, they need our help."**

 **"** **You're going to have to be more descriptive my little one."**

 **"** **My real dad apparently had his leg pinned and everyone is trapped on a volcano which looks like it might blow."**

 **"** **Anything else? Like the location or something?"**

 **"** **It's near the Vibrant Valley, oh and they had been fighting a bunch of Sharpteeth."**

 **"** **Volcano… predatory territory…"** Bryan jolts the words down in a small notebook he kept in his rear pocket. **"Okay, you go inform the young ones, I'll need to prep some stuff before we go."**

Without further ado, Littlefoot rushes off to gather his friends while Bryan returned to his shack. The male human knew this trip was not going to be an easy trip, given the fact that they had to trudge through fifty miles of predator territory and possible fight an entire pack, which according to his estimates, could muster more than fifty at a time since it was more of a clan than a pack.

Firepower was crucial to success in this operation and so was a plan to get the adults to safety. Not only did Bryan need a force multiplier, he needed a mount for which to mount his force multiplier , a M60 machine gun, onto. Cera seemed like a promising candidate, given the fact that she could charge headlong into danger and let the human do the rest. But to do so, Bryan needed more than just a gun and mount, which he already had.

He needed a custom armor vest for the young Triceratops. No, he needed custom vests for all the young dinosaurs in case the Raptors got smart and designed guns of their own which they could operate with clawed fingers. Thanks to the powers of the Illuminati, the male human manages to complete the vests within a couple of seconds, all in desert tan color and up to Threat Level V spec.

Bryan slings his XM16E1 rifle over his back and grabs eight reserve 20 round magazines, which he placed in two M1967 M16 magazine pouches. He had two sidearms with him, an Inland Mfg. M1911A1 which he kept in a "Tanker" holster, and a Smith & Wesson Model 39, which had been customized by a gunsmith turned into a MK 22 "Hush Puppy"; this gun was kept in a belt holster. A M8A1 Scabbard could also be seen on the human's belt, this kept his M7 Bayonet.

Now fully armed and dressed in Vietnam Era gear, the male human joins the young dinosaurs near the entrance. He dresses the young dinosaurs in their custom made armor vests and mounts the Tripod onto Cera's back before mounting the M60 machine gun, which had an 80 round belt loaded. Reserve ammunition for the machine gun was kept in several pouches on Cera's side along with spare barrels.

 **"** **Let's go bring your parents' home safely."** He said.

* * *

Fifty miles east of the Great Valley, things were not looking good for the mixed herd of adult dinosaurs. Their leader Bron had his leg wedged between two boulders and the others found their route to safe haven blocked by a massive Utahraptor clan comprised of over two hundred. Fighting against these agile and intelligent predators was a no go, especially since they lacked the mobility to counter their pack hunting tactics.

The herd members were trapped and worse still, the Volcano looked as if it was about to erupt any minute from now. With Bron currently out of commission, the second and third in command of the herd, an elderly Apatosaurus and middle aged Triceratops, assume their duties. They discuss their next course of action while Bron's wife and a few others tried their best to free the herd's leader.

 **"** **Has the flyer made the call?"** the Triceratops asked.

 **"** **I cannot be sure, Mr. Threehorn."** The Apatosaurus answered. **"Unless you can somehow talk with each other without meeting face to face."**

 **"** **Oh I just wish that human was with us."**

 **"** **What human? I thought those stories were myths."**

 **"** **My herd once encountered a human but… I told him to bugger off."**

 **"** **How could you do such a thing?"**

 **"** **My arrogant past, one which I hate to recall. It was because of arrogance I lost my wife and three of my little ones."**

 **"** **Divorce?"**

 **"** **Yeah."**

 **"** **Sorry about that. But as long as you learn from your mistakes, I'm sure you'll find that special one in your life someday."**

 **"** **That is IF we don't get eaten alive by those hungry pests."**

As the herd of dinosaurs continued to do whatever they can to stay alive, they had no idea that help was on the way. The human whom the middle aged Triceratops told to bugger off was coming to help him, and he was committed to discuss the terms with the Theropods using only one language; 7.62x51 NATO.


	2. From Adventurer To Father

**Chapter 1  
From Adventurer to Father**

 _FIVE YEARS AGO…_

Deep in the mysterious beyond, a much younger Bryan moves through an oasis. He had just passed his nineteenth birthday and was in the realm for a little retreat. His XM16E1 was slung on his back as usual as he crouch walked through the foliage. A pack of Deinonychuses were prowling the area, searching for prey. They had actually smelled something but Bryan wasn't sure if they had smelled him or not.

He got more than what he bargained for when he came here. Originally the teenager thought he would be able to see dinosaurs from afar before spooking them when he got too close. Not in this case however. The Deinonychuses were hungry; having never ate for the past four days. The Alpha in particular, was craving after the juicy taste of meat, Apatosaurus meat to be precise.

One of the Deinonychuses suddenly turns its head at the bush Bryan was hiding behind and snarls, causing the male human to momentarily freeze in position. Fortunately, the Theropod fails to notice him and continues forward under the command of its Alpha. While he wasn't spotted, Bryan knew he couldn't just sneak past the pack of prehistoric killers. If he did, they would go after other dinosaurs and possibly him.

He had to eliminate them here and now. His gun was loaded, what else should he be waiting for? Bryan unslings the rifle from his back and shoulders it, wrapping his left hand around the handguard and his right on the pistol grip. He keeps his finger off the trigger for the time being as he selected his first victim.

The sights move from one Deinonychus to another, finally stopping at the Alpha. He was, afterall, the deadliest of the pack and that made him a priority target. Bryan places his finger on the trigger and applies pressure until he felt the "wall". He takes a deep breath, closes his eyes for a few seconds and opens them. The sights of the gun were squarely on the Alpha's head.

 _BANG_

A clean crisp break on the trigger sends the deadly payload down range, striking the Alpha in the head and killing him instantly. Bryan felt his rifle gently and lightly recoil into his shoulder. It was a 5.56 caliber weapon after all.

Immediately after the Alpha's death, the surviving Deinonychuses stuck their heads in the air, hoping to sniff out their leader's killer. What they did not account for is an experienced human hunter with technology and stealth on his side. When they poked their heads up, they presented themselves as big fat targets, allowing Bryan to quickly down them with headshots.

None of the Theropods survived. Their bodies litter the oasis, a silent reminder of how ingenuity could beat brute force in times like these. Bryan gets up from his concealed position and advances towards the corpses. When he came to the center of the carnage, he was shocked by what he found.

A nest with broken egg shells. These poor little ones probably did not make it far, especially in predator territory. The teenager shook his head and sighed in pity. He was about to leave the area when he caught sight of a miracle. Despite all the carnage that has happened, there was a surviving egg in the nest. Since there was no mother around, Bryan figured he would take care of the egg and when the little one hatched, the hatchling as well.

He grabs the egg and moves it back to the concealed position before going prone, his eyes peeled for signs of predator activity. Just then, there was a cracking sound. The egg was starting to hatch. This was the first time Bryan had seen something hatch from an egg and he glares at the egg with great curiosity. A leg breaks free of the shell, followed by another, then another. Finally all four legs break free, quickly followed by a tail.

Before long, the hatchling was free from its "prison". Bryan takes a good look at the hatchling. He was a male Apatosaurus roughly the size of a basketball. The youngling squeaked innocently as he took in his first breath of air. The teenager pulls the hatchling closer to himself, providing him with warmth and companionship. Despite looking very different, somehow the Apatosaurus nuzzles him.

He must've mistaken Bryan for his mother. The male human gently strokes his "little one" before slinging his rifle over his back.

 **"** **Well…"** he muttered to himself **"Looks like I'm no longer visitor Bryan. I'm papa Bryan… Ahh, just when I thought I had no family left to fend for."**

* * *

In a wooded area of the mysterious beyond, a Deinonychus hides behind a tree, panting and clearly terrified of something. Barely seconds ago he and his pack were discussing about their plans to attack the Great Valley by exploiting a secret entrance when several loud "bangs" rang through the area. All of his pack members were dead including his mate and Beta.

He was the Alpha, the one who was supposed to die first if the pack ever came under attack but he was now the sole survivor, a true disgrace to his kind. But that didn't matter to him. Right now, all he hoped for was that his would be able to escape whoever was stalking him through these woods. That however, was next to impossible. His stalker was Bryan, the human who had become a young Apatosaurus' father.

This human, like a small portion of humans visiting the realm, were expert hunters with plenty of experience under their belt. Not even predatory dinosaurs could escape their sights, especially one who was scared shitless. Oddly, Bryan did not have his rifle shouldered. He was hunting with his pistol, quite an unusual choice but not without reason. His XM16E1 had stovepiped and he didn't have time to clear his jam.

Since his main sidearm, a M1911A1 pistol, had a pretty hefty punch, the teenager figured he would just transition to his handgun and clear the jam on his rifle later. The Deinonychus dashes out from behind cover, hoping to make a run for the bushes but Bryan shoots him before he was able to. He stumbles over and falls onto his side, wounded and unable to move.

As he looked up, the Theropod saw the unmistakable sight of a human. So that's why he couldn't get away, the human was using technology against him. Bryan places his pistol underneath the chin of the Deinonychus.

 **"** **Where is the Great Valley?"** he shouted. **"TELL ME!"**

 **"** **Okay okay!"** the Theropod nervously squealed. **"Follow the bright circle past the Great Rock which looks like a Longneck, and past the mountains that burn."**

While most in the realm of dinosaurs would quickly understand what the Deinonychus meant, Bryan had little to no experience with local dialect. So far he has yet to touch on a topic where he and the ones he encountered used different words. Fortunately, Littlefoot had learnt to talk by now and he had actually picked up some of the local dialect. He translates the Theropod's words into human terms, allowing Bryan to understand better.

 **"** **Alright, so what I'm supposed to do…"** Bryan clears the stovepipe on his rifle. **"Is to trek westwards till I pass a Sauropod shaped monolith and volcanoes. Come on Littlefoot, let's get going shall we?"**

 **"** **Okay daddy."**

Before the hatchling left with his "father", he took one last glance at the Deinonychus. As he did, he received a nod from the Theropod. It was a sign of understanding on the predator's part. He knew the hatchling meant no harm, and the only reason he got hurt was because of the human's actions. The hatchling meant no harm to him and there was no reason to blame him.


	3. Arrogance Of Triceratopses

**Chapter 2  
Arrogance Of Triceratopses**

Five years have passed since Littlefoot's hatching. Nothing much has changed apart from the fact that he was now bigger and at the same height with his "father" Bryan. Both of them were still searching for the Great Valley even after all these years of travelling. Neither of them ever hinted that they wanted to give up at this point, though food and water were becoming scarcer and scarcer by the day.

By now the two had stopped at a row of dead trees. There was nothing much they could eat but then, the human finds something quite out of place, a Cassava plant. This plant shouldn't have existed until the arrival of humans and yet despite the scorching sun and apparent lack of water, here they were growing near a row of dead trees.

 **"** **Since when did Cassava grow in the realm of dinosaurs?"** he inspected the plant. **"This thing shouldn't have existed till the era of humans."**

 **"** **Maybe we lucked out?"** Littlefoot suggested. **"Or maybe they do grow here."**

 **"** **But if they do, then why didn't we see them before? Are the forces from beyond saving us from possible death by starvation?"**

 **"** **That might be it."**

 **"** **Whatever, I'm not complaining. There is more than enough here to fill our bellies."**

Without further ado, Littlefoot and Bryan proceed to feed on the Cassava plant. While the young Apatosaurus ate the leaves, his human father fed on the roots. Once they had satisfied their hunger, the two proceed to gather whatever was left to be saved for later. As they have already learnt in the past, food was becoming increasingly scarce and a reserve food supply would come in handy when hunger becomes unbearable.

Just then, a roar sounds through the area, gathering the attention of both "father" and "son". It was a Triceratops roar, one which the human recognized as a call to arms. This was an indication of a herd in distress, most likely being attacked by a massive pack of Theropods. Conflict filled Bryan's mind. On one hand he didn't want to deviate from his original trek westwards but on the other, his conscience was telling him to help.

Sure it might delay his and Littlefoot's arrival but if he didn't help, how could he live with the fact that he potentially ended the lives of an entire Triceratops herd? Bryan singles for Littlefoot to follow him and the two crouch walk towards the sound of violence. They find a patch of dried grass which they conceal themselves within while watching the battle unfold at the same time.

Bryan gets down onto the prone position and shoulders his rifle. He flicks the selector to "Fire" and looks down the old school Iron sights, keeping his finger off the trigger as he chose his target. At this point there were no less than ten or so Utahraptors attacking the Triceratopses. Three were dead and two were wounded. Those able to continue fighting formed a defensive circle around the young ones

One of the Utahraptors stood out amongst the rest. He was the Alpha of the pack, a prime target. To truly kill a snake, one must first cut off its head and now the head of the snake was the Alpha. No pack could function without an Alpha or leader at the top. The human holds his breath as he inched his finger onto the trigger. His sights were squarely on the Alpha's head.

Up ahead, the Alpha grinned. He now had the "dumb herbivores" rounded up and readied for a final massacre. He was just about to give the order to kill when…

 _ZAP_

 _ZAP_

 _ZAP_

One bullet hits the Alpha, killing him. The other two came in quick follow up shots, killing two more Utahraptors and reducing the pack from ten members down to seven. The survivors looked around, trying to find out who killed their Alpha without touching them. All they heard before Alpha went down was a loud "banging" noise. For the first time in their lives, the Theropods experience fear.

All of them snarled in distress, no longer able to function as a team without a leader.

 _BANG_

 _ZAP_

Yet another predator goes down with a bullet to his head. Now the Raptors could stay put no more. All of the survivors broke ranks and ran for their lives, mostly in the opposite direction. The Triceratopses were confused and shocked at the same time. How could someone possible kill someone else without showing themselves?

Bryan emerges from his concealed position, clutching his rifle.

 **"** **All clear."** He said.

 **"** **Stay where you are."** A middle aged Triceratops who was clearly the leader, spoke. **"And stay as far away from my herd as you can."**

 **"** **W-What? I just saved you and your herd's sorry asses and this is how you thank me?"**

 **"** **We needed no help, human."**

 **"** **Least you got my species right."**

 **"** **Just stay away from us unless you want a horn up your rear end."**

 **"** **Fuckin' A, arrogant sonofabitch."**

That was the end of the conversation between the Triceratops herd leader and the human. Bryan didn't want a confrontation to happen, especially since a herd like this could easily overwhelm him should it decide to charge. He returns to Littlefoot, who was conversing with one of the herd's younger ones, a female Triceratops by the name of Cera. The two had just become friends and while Cera was arrogant like her father, she tolerated Littlefoot, seeing him as an associate who might be of use to her in the time of need.

 **"** **Let's go, Littlefoot."** The male human said. **"We have a valley to get to."**

 **"** **Aww, but I just became friends with Cera."** He sighed.

 **"** **We'll meet her again when we get to the Great Valley."**

 **"** **Okay…"** the young Apatosaurus turns back towards Cera. **"Bye I guess?"**

 **"** **Just go."** She said.

No further words were spoken between Cera and Littlefoot as the young Apatosaurus departed the plains with his "father", continuing their trek westwards in the search for the Great Valley.


	4. Talia And Sharptooth

**Chapter 3  
Talia And Sharptooth**

A day has passed since the young dinosaurs and their human companion left the Great Valley in an effort to rescue the younglings' trapped parents from being obliterated either by a volcano or by pack hunting Utahraptors. It was 7 am local time and everyone was exhausted, Cera especially since she lugged the heaviest load of them all. They still had twenty miles left, or six to seven hours of travelling.

In the lead, Bryan sighed, wishing he brought something which could've ferried him and the young ones straight into the fray in less than an hour. Meanwhile twenty miles ahead, a female Tyrannosaurus Rex emerges from the forest a few feet in front of the volcano's base. She grins as she watched the adult herbivores, who still struggling to free their leader. One of her commanders rushed to her side, reporting that his forces were ready to attack on command.

She smiled. There was no hurry or need to attack now. Those "dumb herbivores" were stuck on the side of a live volcano about to erupt any minute from now and if she could, Talia would much rather let nature take its course than waste her loyal followers on an entire herd. A confrontation would almost certainly result in casualties, not something the female wanted.

But the Tyrannosaurus Rex had no idea she was being the dumb one here. Twenty miles behind her, Bryan and the young dinosaurs have made contact with her rear guard and they were dealing heavy blows to her followers. Thanks to the M60 machine gun mounted on Cera's back, the male human was able to even the odds through volume of fire, mowing many Theropods at a time.

Bodies littered the ground, most with multiple gunshot wounds. Some of the predators died a quick and painless death but others weren't so lucky. Those who weren't shot in vital areas or the triangle of death bled from their wounds, screaming as they felt sharp, burning sensations throughout their body. The engagement itself lasted no more than a couple of minutes but Bryan had ran through two ammunition boxes containing two hundred round belts each and had killed over fifty Theropods.

The barrel on his gun was smoking hot. If he had been firing any longer, the male human might have to perform a barrel change in the head of battle. Fortunately he didn't and now he had one final task left; mercy kill anyone mortally wounded and leave the ones who could be saved alone. He draws his Inland Mfg. M1911A1 pistol and proceeds to walk over the carnage.

One shot per mortally wounded Utahraptor, each shot to the head. Every shot he took scares all of the wounded. They could do nothing, only hope that he would spare them. The mortally wounded knew their time was up and a quick death was welcome; they didn't hope, only prayed that their afterlife wouldn't be full of torment.

As he takes aim at yet another Theropod, the male human finds something which shocks him. Unlike the others, this little one had a different color scheme; she was bluish as opposed to the Raptors, who were either green with dark green stripes or red with black stripes. And she had a small sail on her back. This little fella wasn't an Utahraptor; she was a Spinosaurid, an Irritator Challengeri to be precise.

Forced to fight for Talia, she was nearly killed. A bullet had been shrieking towards her but one of the Raptors took the bullet as he ran by her. She was safe, tucked in under the Utahraptor's body. What shocked Bryan even more was the fact that the little Spinosaurid was barely a year old.

 **"** **By golly…"** he struggled for words. **"What is going through her mind?"**

 **"** **Who's mind?"** Littlefoot asked.

 **"** **Talia or whatever her name was."**

 **"** **Sharptooth's wife?"** Cera asked. **"I thought we were going to save our parents?"**

 **"** **We are. But the only reason the others can't move forward is because of a screen provided by a clan of Utahraptors. Talia enlisted their help so she could kill off your families and bring hurt to the ones who killed her husband."**

 **"** **I'm scared…"** the young Spinosaurid squeaked. **"I-I just don't know what to do anymore…"**

 **"** **Shh, it's okay…"** Bryan slings his rifle on his back and cradles the young Theropod. **"Care to tell me your name?"**

 **"** **Lima."**

 **"** **Okay Lima, don't worry. We aren't here to kill you; we're just passing through the woods to get to a volcano."**

 **"** **The one that's about to erupt?"**

 **"** **Yeah."**

 **"** **C-Can I follow you? Please? I've been travelling alone ever since Sharptooth killed my family."**

 **"** **Sure."**

* * *

Chaos has erupted in the mysterious beyond. A clash of continent has struck the land, catching the herds off guard. New divides and cracks begin to form on what was once a single continent. But the situation was even worse for Bryan and Littlefoot. They were being chased by Sharptooth, the undisputed Lord of the mysterious beyond, after stumbling upon his den.

The human's attempts to subdue the beast with his rifle was met with initial success but ever since the beast adjusted to the stinging sensation caused by Bryan's bullets, he was no longer affected. No amount of gunfire could bring down Sharptooth, not unless the bullet caliber increased. If only Bryan had brought his M14 over instead of his XM16E1.

As they continued to run, Bryan spots a herd of Apatosauruses moving through unstable ground which was rapidly crumbling. Before they knew it, the earth gave way, sending them plunging to their deaths. It was at this moment, the male human realized he and Littlefoot could not keep running like this. They needed room to breathe and plan each step carefully. One wrong move and they too could end up like the Apatosaurus herd.

Bryan spins around, the selector of his rifle set to fire. He unleashes yet another barrage of fire in Sharptooth's direction. Unlike last time, he did not simply point and shoot. Instead, he aimed for the behemoth's chest, hoping to perforate the lungs or better yet, penetrate the heart and cause death within two seconds. Either way was lethal but the time it took to kill Sharptooth differed.

It didn't matter to Bryan however. He just wanted the behemoth dead and the two of them safe from predators. The male human takes aim at his target's chest area and fires. Several rounds penetrate the behemoth. Most were blocked by the ribcage since they were fired in the direction of his lung but one, fired in the direction of the heart, penetrates and hits its target. Presumably due to light powder load, the bullet did not go all the way through, but it did lodge itself in Sharptooth's heart.

An indescribable amount of pain shoots through Sharptooth's receptors, causing him to rear back and snarl in agony. He stumbles back and falls right off the edge of a recently opened divide, presumably to his doom. There was no time to celebrate the victory. Bryan and Littlefoot had to get to safety and the human led the youngling through the rapidly crumbling landscape.

Just then the ground underneath them rises, pushing them high above the carnage as a cloud of dust impaired their vision of the world below. They hugged each other in an embrace. Far away from home and with no family member to turn to, each other was all they have left. The embrace gave them comfort, and comforting was something they could really use now.


	5. I'll Go With You

**Chapter 4  
I'll Go With You**

It was high noon by the time the young dinosaurs and their human companion reached a tall ledge. There was a ramp which led them down to a jungle and beyond the jungle was the volcano. They could actually see the volcano from the ledge and like they suspected, it was live and ready to erupt at any point. Smoke was bellowing out from the crater and there was an unmistakable volcanic hue.

As much as they wanted to run down the ramp and rush towards the adults, the rescue party knew they had to plan their actions carefully. According to earlier confrontations, Talia most likely had her forces amassed here, using them as a screen to forbid the adults from moving. If they wanted to get in and get out without hurting themselves, they needed stealth tactics.

That means no machine gun and no unsuppressed firearms. Bryan had to resort to his knife or, when the situation requires him to do so, his MK22 Hush Puppy pistol. He uses a long stick and draws their plan of attack on the ground.

 **"** **Silence is key to victory."** He draws a circle then an arrow next to the circle. **"The circle is where Talia's men will be. We crouch walk silently past them and we should be safe."**

 **"** **Should we worry about them rushing us once we've past?** Littlefoot asked.

 **"** **Exactly why I said we should get there undetected. There are many solid defensive positions beyond the forest."**

 **"** **How many do you think Talia has?"** Cera questions.

 **"** **After the massacre? Less than a hundred and fifty. We've faced a lot more than that before, we can do it again."**

 **"** **Are there big ones?"** Lima inquired.

 **"** **Only one, Talia herself."**

Just then, a cloud of smoke blooms out from the volcano, catching everyone by surprise. Much to everyone's horror, the volcano had erupted and Lava was slowly oozing down. There was not much time left, they had to move and they had to move now. One more second of hesitation and the adults could become smoked dino. Bryan slings his rifle on his back and unmounts the M60 from Cera's back. He proceeds to attach a box magazine on the side of the gun and load a fresh two hundred round belt into the weapon.

A change of plans

Instead of the sneak attack, the relief force would charge headlong into Talia's line. Using a pair of smoke grenades Bryan brought with him to create confusion, the relief force planned to prevent an organized enemy reaction to their arrival and smoke as many bandits as they could before making their way to the adults.

* * *

Rain was pouring down as darkness once again shrouded the land. The desolate landscape was drenched. What was once a single continent was now separated with new cracks and divides, most of them impassable. One of the divides stood out amongst the rest. It was the widest and longest of them all, a Great Divide. "Great Divide" was indeed its name, a name now synonymous with death.

Many individuals have fell to their doom from its ledges and their bodies littered the bottom, which was known as the big underground. Originally a cave, the big underground's roof had been torn apart when the clash of continents struck and it was now part of the Great Divide's lower regions. Many creatures lived in these parts of the land, including lizard like Dimetrodons.

Amongst the bodies found within the Caverns was that of Sharptooth's. Neither the fall nor the bullet from Bryan's rifle had stopped him. What killed him was the sudden stop at the end. His ribcage had been shattered and his lungs deflated. Blood was spewing out from the wound left by the human's rifle.

Back on the surface, Bryan was dealing with something he hoped he would never need to face. Earlier Littlefoot had encountered a young Apatosaurus who was wounded while scouting the area and he yelled for his "father", hoping human technology could help save the youngling's life. But Bryan didn't need to inspect the young Sauropod. One good look was enough to tell him that he wasn't making it.

He glares at the youngling with great sympathy and shakes his head, silently telling him that there was nothing he could do. In response, the wounded Sauropod merely nodded and smiled.

 **"** **Well, what are you waiting for?"** Littlefoot asked, still unaware of the truth. **"Help him."**

 **"** **He's mortally wounded, Littlefoot."** The male human answered. **"I can't do much apart from granting a merciful death if he wants one."**

 **"** **But dad, you're a human!"**

 **"** **I'm not a doctor, Littlefoot. And besides, all the lifesaving equipment is in the hospital, not in my backpack."**

 **"** **And what about your medical kit?"**

 **"** **It won't be of much use in this case. He's too far in."**

 **"** **Is there nothing we can do to help him?"**

 **"** **I'm afraid not…"**

Silence filled the air. Littlefoot looks away as his "father" draws his M1911A1 pistol and places the muzzle against the wounded Apatosaurus' forehead. He disengages the safety and places his finger on the trigger, looking away as he did. Clearly he was reluctant to end the life of an innocent youngling but he knew it had to be done. Either way the young one was going to die; it was just a matter of quick and painless or slow and painful.

 _BANG_

Tears flowed down Bryan's eyes as he engaged the safety of his pistol and reholstered it. The lifeless body of a young Sauropod now laid beside him, a silent reminder of what nature could do. Littlefoot looks back at his "father" and notices the young adult weeping as he sat beside the corpse, looking traumatized. He approaches Bryan and cuddles up beside him, giving him warmth and companionship.

 **"** **I'm sorry, Littlefoot."** He wept. **"I-I just…"**

 **"** **It's okay, dad."** The youngling nuzzles his "father" in the chin. **"You did what you had to do. I understand why you pulled the trigger."**

 **"** **You don't blame me?"**

 **"** **Why would I blame you?"**

 **"** **Because… I dunno, I killed I member of your species?"**

 **"** **Of course not, dad. You killed him so he could have a quick and painless death and not suffer through all the agony."**

 **"** **Thanks, Littlefoot. I just…"** Bryan wipes the tears from his eyes. **"Well, you know my story."**

 **"** **Yeah."**

 **"** **Without you I might not have even pushed on."**

 **"** **Really?"**

 **"** **You know why I came to this realm?"**

 **"** **Nuh-uh."**

 **"** **Because I wanted to get away from it all, from the dark times. What I didn't anticipate was the fact that you would recognize me as a parent."**

 **"** **W-What do you mean? I thought you were my dad."**

 **"** **I am. Just… Not your real dad."**

 **"** **But you told me I was a special one, born with a human father."**

 **"** **You were born with a human father by your side. I'm not saying I AM your biological father, Littlefoot."**

 **"** **So I really am adopted?"**

 **"** **Yes you are, Littlefoot."**

At first Bryan had no idea how Littlefoot would react. In fact, he was hesitant to tell the young Apatosaurus at first and held back. Until now. He didn't really want to talk about it but somehow, he accidentally stumbled upon it. The young Apatosaurus looked at his adoptive father as he glared at his XM16E1. This revelation took him aback, but nevertheless, he still felt an emotional connection with Bryan.

The human was, after all, the one who single handedly raised him ever since the day he hatched. He licks Bryan in the cheek, causing him to wince.

 **"** **You just had to slobber me, Littlefoot."** He chuckled. **"I'm moving out at first light. Whether you want to come or go find your parents is up to you. I know my place, I'm not going to force you."**

 **"** **I'll go with you."** Littlefoot pauses for a second. **"Dad."**

 **"** **Very well then."**

Both adoptive father and son snuggle next to each other as they dozed off to a peaceful slumber. They knew they had a long day ahead of them, for the Great Valley is still very far away.


	6. An Oasis Of Hope

**Chapter 5  
An Oasis Of Hope**

Deep within the forest, there was absolute silence. The locals have gone into hiding, fearful for their lives. Utahraptors loyal to Talia were prowling the lands, blockading the herd of herbivores and preventing their escape to safer ground. It would only be a matter of time before they became roast meat as the lava slowly oozed down towards them. Up on the ridge, Bron's wife and parents-in-law were struggling to free him from the wedge he got himself into.

Near the edge of the jungle, Topsy sighed. He could see the lava oozing down and knew there would not be much time left for the herd. Rescue didn't seem like it was coming any time soon and the Triceratops was giving up hope of ever seeing his daughter again. Just then, a crackle of automatic gunfire catches his attention. This sound he had heard before, just not in automatic form. A human must be in the area. Was rescue finally here for the herd?

Back in the jungle Bryan continues to let loose with his machine gun, mowing down Utahraptor after Utahraptor as they ran around in confusion. Apparently the smoke grenades turned out to be flashbangs, which was way better than smoke grenades since there were no vision impairing clouds of smoke. Spent casings littered the forest floor as the human slowly advances into the encampment, firing his machine gun as he went.

Cera was trotting next to him, hauling all the extra ammunition. Whenever the human ran out, he simple grabs a fresh box magazine, removes the used one, attaches the new one to the side of his gun, and loads a fresh two hundred round belt into his weapon. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the machine gun became a literal force multiplier for Bryan, allowing him to even the odds and dish damage to his enemies while keeping them way out of their own retaliation distance.

The loyalists break ranks, scattering into the treeline, some of them clustered others by themselves. Talia, seeing that her forces were in disarray, rallies them and orders them to charge the human, who was currently reloading a fresh belt into his machine gun. She thought she could catch her foe on the reload and crush him before he could dish out more damage.

Unfortunately for her, by the time her men actually started to charge, Bryan had already finished reloading and was ready for more. She had just led her loyal followers straight into a massacre. There was no hope for the Theropods. As they charged through the hail of gunfire, their ranks fell one by one. One of the Raptors got a lucky break and somehow managed to dodge the gunfire but he quickly came under attack by, surprise surprise, the five younglings accompanying Bryan.

Despite their young age, Littlefoot and the young dinosaurs were more than willing to help out their human companion and they used combined effort to overcome the Utahraptor's brute force. In a finishing blow, Cera drives her horn right up the Theropod's neck, killing him instantly. From behind, Talia could only watch in horror as her loyal followers were cut down within seconds.

She had just thrown them into a blood bath, costing them their lives. Now there was no one standing between the rescue party and the forces blockading the adult dinosaurs. Well there was one, but it was a force Talia was reluctant to deploy. This force, comprised mainly of Deinonychuses, was originally part of her rear guard but she relegated them to her reserves.

Now they were the only ones left to defend the blockading dinosaurs. Instead of a full on assault, Talia decides to play it a tad bit more cautiously this time. She reorganizes them into five packs, each pack comprised of three Deinonychuses. Her plan was to sneak them through the jungle and hopefully catch the rescue party in the flanks before slaughtering them.

Bryan's experience however, was poised to turn the sneaky little plan against her. Based on knowledge he has gained over the years, he knew someone like Talia wouldn't risk a second frontal assault since she did not possess that big of a force. She would most likely play it cautiously and a sneaking around was a likely tactic of approach. The human adjusts appropriately and remounts the machine gun back onto Cera's back before unslinging his XM16E1.

He reaches into his buttpack and grabs a Colt 3x20 scope before mounting it on his rifle. Rambo time was over; it was time for a little sniping action. While a XM16E1 rifle wasn't exactly an ideal sniper rifle, Bryan had to make do with what he had. His M14 rifle, which was a great sniping tool, had been left back at the shack when he left.

 **"** **Lima."** He said to the young Spinosaurid. **"How good is your eye?"**

 **"** **I use it to find meat eaters and avoid them."** She answered.

 **"** **And your nose?"**

 **"** **Pretty good."**

 **"** **Okay, you're my spotter. Everyone follow me; let's just see if we can't out sneak the sneaky ones."**

* * *

The sun was slowly setting over the horizon. The day was slowly ending, and Bryan and Littlefoot were hoping to make the best out of whatever sunlight they had left. Earlier in the day they had bumped into Cera while travelling past the last of the Great Divide. She had declined their offer to join the group, choosing instead to go off in search of her parents.

By now they had arrived at an oasis, a place where they could rest and refuel. The oasis wasn't big but had a decent sized body of water in the middle which was connected to a waterfall. Trees and other vegetation grew around and within the body of water. While Littlefoot fed on the water reeds, Bryan ran towards the waterfall. He allows water to soak his clothing and equipment, cooling himself off after a long day of travelling.

As he filled up his canteens from the waterfall, a naughty thought came into Bryan's mind. What he had in mind was a little prank to relief him of the boredom. The human smears some camouflage he'd brought in his backpack onto his face along with a little bit of mud.

He then dives underwater, XM16E1 slung on his back and MK 22 Hush Puppy pistol drawn, silently swimming towards Littlefoot. When he was directly underneath the young Apatosaurus, Bryan suddenly rises up and drags him into the water.

 **"** **Dad."** Littlefoot groaned as he surfaced. **"What was that for?"**

 **"** **Fun."** The human chuckled. **"I'm bored."**

 **"** **Okay, you asked for it."**

Before he knew what was going on, Bryan found himself playing around the oasis with Littlefoot as if he was a young child. It didn't matter to him anymore that he was a young adult; he just wanted to spend some time with his adoptive son. The two had a water fight near the waterfall and played tag around the water's edge, occasionally leading or pushing the other into the water when they had the chance.

Time didn't matter to them anymore. They had found a suitable place to rest for till morning came. As they finished their game of tag, Littlefoot and Bryan bump into Ducky, a young Saurolophus who had separated from her parents during the clash-of-continents. Like them, she too was headed to the Valley but unlike them, she wanted to get there as soon as possible. That meant moving through the night to decrease the estimated time of arrival.

While Littlefoot and Bryan would've loved to spend the night at the Oasis, they too realized the importance of reaching the Great Valley in the shortest time span possible. Predators were everywhere in the beyond, making it a dangerous place to stay for too long. The two decide to continue their journey and this time, Ducky was coming along with them.

The more the merrier.

Before long, the trio find themselves trekking along a path flanked by two cliffs. The young ones' stomachs had begun to growl. So much for having lunch at the Oasis. Bryan spots a vine dangling down, just within reach of Littlefoot. The young Apatosaurus grabs the vine with his teeth and begins to tug, hoping to pull the vine down and have a light snack with Ducky.

Oddly, each time he pulled the vine, someone could be heard screaming. Ducky thought the vine was talking but Bryan corrects her, suggesting that something might be hanging on for dear life. He orders Littlefoot to give an almighty tug, which he did. As soon as he did, a young Pteranodon tumbled down. He lands on Littlefoot's face, shocking the young Apatosaurus.

In a vain effort to prevent Littlefoot from releasing the vine in shock, he smiles sheepishly. Unfortunately for him, the young Apatosaurus screamed anyways, releasing the vine and launching him into the air. The trio watched as he flapped his wings comically in the air before falling through the ground, creating a hole of sorts. Bryan slings his rifle onto his back and slowly moves towards the hole.

He wanted to present himself as a friendly individual, not a blood-thirsty monster. When he first approached the hole, the Pteranodon was unsure of him. But a simple gesture of kindness(reaching his hand down into the hole as a sign he was here to help)was all he needed to gain the youngling's trust. Helped out of the hole, the young Pteranodon introduced himself as Petrie.

Amusingly enough, despite being a Pteranodon, Petrie couldn't fly. He was grounded by Aerophobia and because of this, he was left behind when his family decided to make a break for the Great Valley. Bryan and the others couldn't resist teasing him, especially since he had wings for flight and yet he could not fly. It was all kind hearted of course, no harsh words or insults were flung.

Petrie later accepts the offer to join the group and follows the trio as they headed towards the Great Valley. A human accompanying three young dinosaurs on a journey to a mythical valley, now that's something you don't get to see every day.


	7. Reptilians Of The Underworld

**Chapter 6  
Reptilians Of The Underworld**

The night was frightening to say the least and everyone just wanted to stop and wait till sunrise. But they couldn't. Predators were especially active in the night and if they stayed in one place for too long, the young dinosaurs and their human companion faced the threat of being routed and slaughtered. Keeping themselves mobile was the best way for them to avoid predators.

Of course, some pack hunting Theropods thought it would be a great idea to attack a travelling herd of young dinosaurs when a gun totting human was guarding them. They must've thought they could dodge a bullet travelling at 3165 feet per second. Anyways, the predators thought wrong. Anyone who was daring enough to attack was quickly shot down before they got close.

But even with the extra firepower, Bryan and the young dinosaurs hoped to seek refuge in a safe location before moving out again. Just then, Littlefoot spots a cave on their right flank and leads the others through. When they entered however, things just didn't feel right; for Littlefoot and Bryan anyways. It was quiet, too quiet for a cave, which was supposed to be populated.

It didn't take long for the answer to emerge, literally. A Dimetrodon emerges from the deeper reaches of the cave, surprising the members of the travelling group, Bryan especially. These predatory lizard like reptilians were supposed to be extinct long before the age of dinosaurs. First were Cassava plants which may or may not be planted due to an act of the heavens and now Dimetrodons. Apparently accuracy might not have been a concern for the Illuminati.

The lizard, having spotted the young ones and their human companion, hisses but Bryan wasn't in the least bit intimidated. He reaches into his right cargo pocket and grabs a historically inaccurate Smartphone and plays "Fortunate Son" on full volume, much to the surprise of everyone. Without warning, the human shoots the Dimetrodon through the head, killing him instantly.

He moves deeper into the cave, music echoing throughout and attracting more lizards. Unbeknownst to Bryan at the time, the cave was home to an entire population of lizard like reptilians, a population which he was about to wipe completely off the map. There was no emotion on his face when the human started the slaughter. He just hammered away at the trigger of his rifle, unleashing wall after wall of lead on the lizards as they charged towards him.

From behind, Littlefoot and the others watch in shock as their human companion, who showed his caring side to them throughout the journey, suddenly devolve into a Sharptooth like killer as he literally blasted his way through the cave. Then, things went up a notch when Bryan affixed a bayonet to his rifle and started stabbing and shooting his targets.

There was a bloody mess within the cave but the young dinosaurs quickly realized why their human companion was doing what he was doing. Being sneaky, while effective, could become their death warrant if they were spotted, especially if they were in the deeper ends. Flushing out and killing the ones who threatened them was one way to prevent that from happen since the tactic forced the predatory lizards to attack them from the front.

And Bryan was doing it in style, blaring Vietnam Era music on full volume as he killed the predators one after the other. They stood no chance against his firepower. The engagement itself lasted only two minutes but Bryan had already expended three magazines. No less than fifty bodies littered the ground, and blood was everywhere within the cave.

 **"** **Damn!"** he sighed as he switched off the tune. **"That was one hell of an adrenaline rush."**

 **"** **Dad…"** Littlefoot muttered in shock. **"I didn't know you could do this without feeling bad for yourself."**

 **"** **These buggers were a threat to our survival. I have no problem killing these things."**

 **"** **You sure you won't have nightmares?"**

 **"** **Ain't gonna happen, Littlefoot. Ever since living here, I've gotten used to seeing death and destruction on a regular basis."**

Waving his right hand in a horizontal circle, Bryan rallies the young dinosaurs as they continue deeper into the cave. They were about a few minutes into the trek when Ducky spots an orange-ish young female Triceratops lying beside the carcass of a dead adult dinosaur and three younger ones. It seems as though the deceased had been killed when they fell down from the Great Divide.

Wait, the Great Divide? That could only mean one thing. The cave Bryan and the young dinosaurs were in was none other than the big underground, and they've just tamed the area with brute force on the human's part. The male human slings his rifle over his shoulder and slowly approaches the young Triceratops. It turns out that he actually knew the youngling.

Her name was Cera, and she had found her mother and siblings, though not in the way she had intended to. Their deaths devastated her and by the looks of it, Cera hadn't moved in a while. Dehydration was probably killing her by the minute.

 **"** **Cera?"** Bryan grabs one of his canteens and offers some water. **"Hey, you want a drink?"**

 **"** **What do you think?"** she asked, slightly irritated by his presence.

 **"** **Look, Cera. I know you've just lost your siblings and your mother, but if you want to survive you need some fluids in your body."**

 **"** **Is there a need for me to live anymore? I have no one else left."**

 **"** **You have Littlefoot and me. And what about your father? Is he dead too?"**

 **"** **I don't know…"**

 **"** **You don't know. So what? You're gonna stay here and die because you THINK your father died as well? What if he lived? How would he feel if he found out you dehydrated yourself to death because you thought he died?"**

 **"** **Do you know loss? Have you suffered loss before?!"**

 **"** **Cera, I know how it feels like to lose a loved one. My mother and brother were both slaughtered by my estranged adoptive father."**

Littlefoot, seeing that his friend was in great pain, approached her and comforted her while his adoptive father continued to motivate her.

 **"** **Come on now, Cera."** The human reaches his canteen out. **"Take a sip, you'll need it."**

 **"** **And you can join us on our journey to the Great Valley."** Littlefoot offered. **"That way you won't be alone."**

 **"** **Thanks…"** she smiled.

This was the first time the young Triceratops had smiled since a couple of days. Her throat felt a great sense of relief when water flowed down, courtesy of Bryan's canteen. When she finished satisfying her thirst, Cera had a big shock. Her awareness of the world around her returned and she noticed the carnage caused by Bryan's XM16E1 rifle and M7 bayonet, which was still attached to the gun.

She looks at the human, who merely nods to her, silently acknowledging the fact that he was indeed responsible for this. Silence accompanied the herd for the first few minutes as they trekked deeper and deeper into the cave. As they came around the corner, Ducky and Petrie screamed. "Sharptooth" was right in front of them. Bryan, Littlefoot, and Cera remained unfazed however.

Yes, Sharptooth was indeed in front of them but he was long dead. The fall had killed him and they weren't in real danger of being munched up any time soon. Bryan shakes his head and sighed, there was a gut feeling he just could not explain. He brushes the feeling off for now and continues to lead the young ones through the cave. Before long, they found themselves at the western entrance.

Perfect, now they were out in the open once again and daylight was upon them. But a new problem emerged for the group of young travellers and their human protector. Thick undergrowth made up the entrance of the cave and they needed to navigate it if they wanted to make it to the valley. Bryan detaches the bayonet from his rifle and uses it as a makeshift machete, hacking a path through the vegetation.


	8. Relieved

**Chapter 7  
Relieved**

 _BANG_

 _ZAP_

 **"** **Number fifteen."** Lima reported.

 **"** **Good."** Bryan lowers his rifle. **"I think that's all of them, let's get moving."**

The human didn't even bother to take the scope off his rifle when he rallied the young dinosaurs and led them through the forest. He didn't have time to do so; the adults would die if he delayed his arrival any longer. In the meantime, Talia paced around where she stood. She heard the gunshots and knew what Bryan was up to. She knew he had outsmarted her and had used her tactics against her.

Since her reserves were divided into several groups and sent to different areas in the forest, there was no way they could come to their comrades' aid in time, given the fact that Lima possessed the same eyesight and sense of smell they did and Bryan's expert marksmanship. The two were a deadly sniper-spotter team, and Talia knew this. She just failed to account for Bryan's ability to adapt his tactics on the fly.

And now there was absolutely no one standing between the rescue party and the blockading forces. The Tyrannosaurus Rex bit her lips, reluctantly and helplessly awaiting the slaughter of her loyal followers. Back in the jungle, Bryan dismounts the M60 machine gun off Cera's back once again. This time he had connected several magazines worth of belts into a single belt of a thousand rounds which he wrapped around his shoulder and loaded the other end into the gun.

He had enough firepower to mow down a small gun armed army of humans; these dinosaurs were nothing more than cannon fodder at this point. Like Stallone's Rambo, the human bursts out from within the forest and unleashed a hail of machine gun fire on his foes. Unlike Rambo, he did not fire one handed or from the hip, nor did he expend his ammunition in one pull of the trigger.

Instead, he shouldered his weapon and fired in short but sustained bursts, mowing down several at a time while conserving ammunition at the same time. Standing on top of a raised portion of land within the forest, Talia watched as her men were brutally slaughtered by the gun armed human, who was going Rambo on his foes. Sneaking close wasn't an option for the predators either.

Anyone who managed to get close was quickly overwhelmed by the young dinosaurs and their smart tactics. Members of the besieged herd also noticed the action and they cheered their rescuers on, giving them moral support. It was here where Bryan showed his true colors as an efficient and cold blooded killer. When his machine gun finally ran dry, the human turned the gun into a massive bat, swatting anyone who dared to challenge him.

Predator after predator was thwacked in the face by Bryan's giant hunk of American made steel. Then, he drew his pistol. Once again, human ingenuity trumps brute force. As soon as Bryan drew his gun, the predators stood no chance of retaliation. All of them were shot down before they could get within striking distance of their claws. Talia, now having seen the human's capabilities, decides to focus her attention on him instead.

He was a threat to her very existence and she'd be much better off killing her arch nemesis than emotionally hurting a few young ones at the cost of her life. The Tyrannosaurus Rex diverts all of her followers blockading the adults, sending them straight into the fray just as Bryan finishes reloading yet another one thousand round belt into his M60 machine gun.

Oddly, the battle didn't start right away. A standoff began between the human and the massive force of Theropods, who were snarling in anger. Bryan shakes his head and smiles; he had just switched on a familiar tune. Before anyone knew what was going on, the song "Fortunate Son" played on full volume from Bryan's smartphone. He shoulders his M60 machine gun and mows down several of the predatory dinosaurs before they could react.

Those who survived the sudden burst of gunfire charged towards the human, aiming to use their superior numbers to overwhelm the lone fighter. Unfortunately for the predators, their plan was woefully antiquated against Bryan since he had technology on his side. One after the other, the predatory dinosaurs were cut down by machine gun fire. This was a rerun of the Dimetrodon Massacre, only this time the human was facing Theropods instead of lizards.

From a hundred and fifty, the blockading force had its numbers reduced down to just ten in their attempt to overwhelm the gun armed human. And that number quickly went down to just three. The three survivors, shocked that their comrades died for absolutely nothing, decided that enough was enough and made a run for the forest. Bryan wasn't having any of this, oh no. He raised his machine gun and gunned down the survivors in cold blood.

* * *

The young dinosaurs and their human companion continued their trek through the Great Valley. Now joined by a mute Stegosaurus hatchling by the name of Spike, they make their way through a rocky region dominated by high cliffs and boulders. By now they had arrived at the banks of a small stream which was connected to a waterfall. While they were still trekking westwards, the group's primary objective at the moment was to satisfy their hunger.

Green leaves were a rare sight ever since they left the cave entrance and if they don't find some soon, starvation would take its toll.

 **"** **Plants grow where there's lots of water…"** Littlefoot tracks the stream's path with his head. **"So if we follow the water, we're bound to find green food."**

 **"** **Smartass."** Bryan chuckles. **"Who taught you that?"**

 **"** **You did."**

 **"** **Well… I never thought you'd bother to remember what I said, considering how young you were at the time."**

 **"** **Guys."** Cera groaned. **"Can't we go find something to eat already?"**

 **"** **Sure."**

Without further ado, Littlefoot leads the young dinosaurs downstream in search of greenery. Bryan however, remains behind; he wanted to catch something meatier for a late afternoon snack. His small stock of Cassava roots, which were stored in his backpack, was starting to get to him. He was bored of tasting the same thing over and over again, and besides, he hadn't eaten meat in a while.

Just one fish should do.

The human grabs his bayonet and scans the stream for fishy movements below. He quickly spots a few but none of them were big enough to satisfy his hunger. Then, the big one came. It was a big fat trout looking fish, perfect for Bryan's protein needs. He uses his bayonet as a spear and put his spear fishing skills, which he had picked up ever since coming to the realm, to good use.

When Bryan cooked the fish, he nodded and gave a smile. All the patience and effort he threw into this little venture paid off. A satisfying meal was the reward and was it a satisfying meal indeed. Now with his stomach full, Bryan follows the trail left behind by the young dinosaurs and linked up with them in what appeared to be a depleted forest. Thanks to their keen eyesight, the young ones have spotted a young tree which was still full of leaves.

Issue was, they had no idea how to get to the leaves. Littlefoot wasn't tall enough yet and Cera lacked the brute force needed to down the tree.

 **"** **Step aside."** Bryan draws his M7 Bayonet. **"It's chop time."**

The human climbs up the small tree and begins hacking away at the branches, using his bayonet as a machete. It wasn't the most comfortable thing to chop wood with but at least it was an effective chopper. Before long, the tree was completely bare and Bryan places his bayonet back in its scabbard before jumping off the branch. He lands into the pile of leaves below after doing a backflip.

Emerging from the pile, the human sits down underneath an adjacent tree and took a deep breath. His legs were sore from travelling nonstop for the past few days and he was relieved to be able to sit down for once.

 **"** **Ahh…"** Bryan takes a sip of water from his canteen. **"Feel good to finally be able to sit down."**

 **"** **Here, dad."** Littlefoot places a pile of leaves next to his adoptive father and sits down beside him. **"You should eat some."**

 **"** **Nah, I'm good."**

 **"** **But you haven't eaten in a while."**

 **"** **Littlefoot…"** the human sighs. **"Promise me not to freak out, alright?"**

 **"** **Yeah."** The youngling replied, clearly confused.

 **"** **Remember the time when you caught me by the river and I shouted at you?"**

 **"** **You told me later that you were worried that belly draggers might come after me."**

 **"** **That… Was a lie."**

 **"** **What?"**

 **"** **You see, when you were a youngling. I knew you'd probably run away or be frightened if I told you I ate meat."**

 **"** **You mean…"**

 **"** **I'm an omnivore and to survive, I need to eat both meat and greens. That's why you see me plucking berries and fruits from time to time as well as wander on the riverbanks."**

Littlefoot was taken aback by the sudden revelation. All these years he spent with his adoptive father and never once has he realized that the human ate meat. First the news that he was actually adopted and now the secret that he ate meat, what other truths did the human know but didn't publicly reveal? The youngling didn't know what to say anymore. He just sat there, trying his best to process everything his adoptive father told him.

Meanwhile, Cera, Ducky, and Petrie were chatting amongst themselves. They had heard Bryan and Littlefoot's conversation, and though they couldn't hear every single word clearly, they did hear him say he ate meat. And that worried them. A meat eater among them? Definitely a recipe for disaster. All of them knew how dangerous predators were, and now they've just found out Littlefoot's adoptive father might be one of them.

Night was slowly creeping in, and the younglings knew predators were most active during the hours of darkness. Cera, fearing that Littlefoot might be a predator in disguise, leads the other young dinosaurs to her sleeping area while the young Apatosaurus wandered into his sleeping hole, alone. Bryan joins him in the hole not too long after.

 **"** **Something wrong?"** he asked, having noticed the gloomy expression on Littlefoot's face.

 **"** **Did I do something wrong?"** the youngling asked his adoptive father. **"My friends seem to be avoiding me."**

 **"** **I'm to blame, Littlefoot."**

 **"** **Why?"**

 **"** **Because I eat meat."**

 **"** **I'm fine with that."**

 **"** **Not them. Now they think you're some sort of predator who looks like a Sauropod."**

 **"** **Because you eat meat?"**

 **"** **Precisely."**

 **"** **I don't blame you, dad."**

Bryan smiled when he heard his adoptive son's words. Being rejected because of his dietary needs dealt a great blow to his morale and the human was glad that someone, namely his own adoptive son, still supported him and cared for him. He allows Littlefoot to lay his head on his lap while he gently strokes him on the forehead. Not too long later and the young Apatosaurus was fast asleep.

 **"** **Aww…"** he chuckles. **"Sweet dreams my little one."**


	9. United We Stand

**Chapter 8  
United We Stand**

The sun slowly rises above the horizon, illuminating the land with its rays. A new day has dawned yet the members of the travelling group were still asleep with the exception of Bryan, who had woke up early and was making preparations for the journey ahead. He had collected a bundle of leaves for Littlefoot and was scanning the area from the sleeping hole he and Littlefoot occupied.

He retrieves his M1911A1 pistol, which was lying on the ground next to where he slept the night before, and holsters the weapon in his "Tanker" style holster. Just then, Littlefoot nudges his human adoptive father in the side. The youngling had just woken from his slumber and was still drowsy.

 **"** **Morning, Littlefoot."** He said.

 **"** **Morning, dad."** The youngling yawns. **"I could surely use some breakfast."**

 **"** **Look to your left, little one."**

Littlefoot looks to his left and finds, much to his surprise, that his adoptive father had foraged his breakfast earlier in the day. Already starving at this point, the youngling dives into his meal, finishing the whole pile in less than fifteen minutes. By now his friends have also arrived, having smelled the scent of leaves, and were disappointed when they found out the young Apatosaurus had left none for them.

It could be considered karma since they ditched him the night before. Just then, a distant roar catches everyone's attention and they all turn in the direction where it came from. Much to their horror, a Tyrannosaurus Rex had spotted them and was headed their way. A gut feeling within Bryan told him this was Sharptooth's younger brother, who went by the name Siegfried.

Regarded by many as Sharptooth's less aggressive younger brother, Siegfried didn't usually go after younglings or smaller creatures since he hunted to satisfy his hunger rather than for sport. Today however, the Tyrannosaurus Rex was out to avenge the death of his brothers. He wanted to kill the ones responsible for the death of his older brother, and that meant he was going after the young dinosaurs and their human companion.

There was no way the younglings and their human friend were fighting this battle. They had to disengage and make a run for it, praying they could locate a place which to lose him in. Bryan rallies the young ones behind him and, with the aid of his compass, leads them on a run westwards. He wanted to lead them to safety and at the same time refrain from straying off course.

A tunnel was situated just up ahead which they could squeeze through and hopefully lose Siegfried. Bryan was the first to reach the entrance but he didn't go through the tunnel. Instead he gets into a crouching position and starts hammering away at Siegfried from eighty yards away while the young ones pushed one another through the tunnel through combined effort.

Being shot for the first time was quite a painful experience for the Tyrannosaurus Rex, especially since the M193 spec ammunition fired out of Bryan's XM16E1 had created devastating wounds upon impact. Siegfried rears back and roars in pain as Spike moved through the tunnel with Petrie on his back. Now the young ones were safely through and Bryan made his exit.

He barely manages to squeeze through before Siegfried forced his head through. Apparently the Tyrannosaurus Rex thought he could burst through the other side like an explosion. When Bryan swung his head around, he leapt back in shock. Merely a few feet away from him were the massive and smelly jaws of a Tyrannosaurus Rex snapping at him.

Of course, the human knew he was in no real danger of being eaten so long as he didn't put his god damned head in the snapping jaws. Bryan grins and points his middle finger at Siegfried before joining the young dinosaurs at the base of a Sauropod shaped monolith.

 **"** **Hey look."** Littlefoot exclaimed. **"It's the great rock which looks like a Longneck. We're going the right way! The way to the Great Valley!"**

* * *

Hoping to get as far away from Siegfried as possible, the group continued its trek through the beyond. By now they were trudging through a sandy part of the land where ash fell from the sky like rain. Neither of them had paused in their long walk since the encounter and strain was evident on their faces. Ducky and Petrie had resorted to sitting on the back of Spike, their legs too sore to continue walking.

By now they were preparing to climb a rocky cliff, rugged terrain even for an experienced outdoorsman like Bryan. There were bigger problems for him to contend to however. Most if not all of the young dinosaurs who were moving on their feet were quadrupled, meaning they walked on all fours. For those moving on all fours, they usually navigated the land on well used paths or flatter terrain, not rocky cliffs which required climbing.

There were times when Bryan had to push the young ones up the mountain before making the climb himself. It was an exhausting process but the human pushed on. They had gone too far to quit now. Besides, quitting after passing one of the landmarks would certainly be a waste of effort, especially after what they've been through.

 **"** **Come on, we can't quit now!"** Littlefoot shouted. He was nearly at the top by now. **"What if the valley is just over the top of these rocks?"**

Those words muttered by Littlefoot were meant to motivate the members of the group but some of them took it way too seriously. They really thought the valley was just beyond the cliff. As they reached the top, a sandstorm temporarily blinded the group. Slowly it began to clear, revealing… Nothing. Absolutely nothing. There was no greenery, no fresh flowing water, not even signs of the adult dinosaurs.

All they could see was desolate landscape and rocky terrain.

 **"** **This is your Great Valley?"** Cera spoke her mind. **"You're crazy! I'm leaving."**

 **"** **But Cera, we have to keep following the bright circle."** Littlefoot pleaded.

 **"** **I'm taking the easy way for once!"**

 **"** **But it's the wrong way!"**

 **"** **Enough!"** Bryan shouts.

The human's shout gathers everyone's attention. This was the first time he had been so worked up and they were all worried he would finish Siegfried's task for him.

 **"** **Look, I know we're all tired."** He said. **"And I know how demoralizing it can be when you realize the truth is farther from what you'd think. But right now is not the time to quit. We've come so far, achieved so much as a group. Despite our differences we've worked together and escaped danger together."**

The young dinosaurs looked at each other with guilt, Littlefoot and Cera especially. Bryan did have a point after all.

 **"** **I know none of you trust me at this point but still, ask yourselves. Are we really going to quit now? After countless days of travelling and passing one of the landmarks in the riddle? Our goal has been to get to the valley, so let's get to the valley, together, as a team. United we stand, divided we fall."**

Before anyone could say anything else, Siegfried appears out of nowhere and snarls at them, forcing Bryan to once again lead the young ones towards safety. Like they've done countless times before, the young dinosaurs and their human companion stuck together and moved as a group. No one was left behind, not even the smaller members of the group.

Unlike last time however, they deviated from the path. Siegfried had used his knowledge of the terrain and had blocked their path westwards. Left with no choice, Bryan was forced to lead the young ones through an alternate route. It would still take them to the Great Valley but there was a significant increase of danger.

The original path would've taken them around the "Mountains That Burn" but since it was blocked off by a very angry Tyrannosaurus Rex, they had to take an alternate route, which led them directly through the volcano range. Sea upon sea of lava oozed down from the craters, flowing underneath the path. They could die here if they weren't careful. Bryan hauls ass, allowing Littlefoot to take the lead.

He had seen edible vines and greenery distract Spike in the past and he did not want any member of the group to be left behind. Every time the Stegosaurus stopped, he would push him forwards till he started walking again. Heck, he didn't even need to push. All he had to do was to affix the bayonet onto his rifle and scare Spike into continuing his trek with the rest of the group.

After what seemed like eternity, the members of the group found themselves trudging through a cave. It was like the big underground, only smaller and without Dimetrodons. But this cave was home to a deadlier species, mutated Pachycephalosaurus, which Bryan nicknamed, predatory Pachys. Externally they were like normal Pachycephalosauruses but that was where the similarities ended.

While normal Pachys ate leaves and whatever greenery they could find, these Pachycephalosauruses ate meat like predatory dinosaurs. And worse of it all, they hunted like Dromaeosaurids. Barely a few seconds after they entered the cave, the group members were ambushed by the so called "Predatory Pachys". Bryan manages to shoot two of them before they got too close for his rifle.

He stabs one of them with his bayonet, which was mounted on his rifle, and kicks another away. Cera sees one attempting a flanking maneuver and drives her horn into the predator's chest, killing it. Littlefoot attempts a tail whip and manages to swipe one into a tar pit. Spike on the other hand, evacuates onto the top of a boulder, sheltering Ducky and Petrie from the danger below.

Despite having the initial element of surprise, the mutated Pachycephalosauruses were unable to eliminate the intruders and were repaid with total annihilation of their population. It was probably a good thing. No one wanted a real life predator disguised as a friendly herbivore. Now the danger had passed and the young dinosaurs and their human companion regroup under a waterfall where they quenched their thirst and cooled off.

As Littlefoot played around in the water with the rest of his friends, he notices Bryan sitting near the edge of the water. He was cleaning a slash wound on his hand, presumably the result of being attacked by mutated Pachycephalosauruses.

 **"** **Dad, you okay?"** he asked.

 **"** **Yeah, I'm fine."** The human cleans the wound with water from his canteen. **"A little cut won't bring me down."**

 **"** **Guys…"** Cera called out. **"We might be in for a fight."**

Bryan and Littlefoot look around and realize the others have gone ahead. There was a tunnel underneath the waterfall which led them out of the cave and into a large pool of water. As they looked up, the two realized what Cera was talking about. Walking along a ledge above them was none other than Siegfried himself, and he was blocking the path westwards once again.

No longer could they run around him, and no longer could they keep hiding. If the younglings and their human companion wanted to reach the valley safely, they would have to eliminate Siegfried.


	10. The End Of A Reign

**Chapter 9  
The End Of A Reign**

Now having seen Siegfried in action, Bryan begins to lay out his plan of attack. His plan was to move the young ones onto a ledge and position them directly behind a massive boulder situated on the ledge, which overlooked the deep end of the body of water. Their job was to act as a distraction and, if he gets chomped up, execute plan B and push the boulder over his head and knock him into the deep end, preferably head first and leg facing the sky.

They had a plan, now all they needed was bait. Everyone glares at Ducky. She was a good swimmer and a fast runner. She could lead Sharptooth into the water, and hide under while they dealt with the beast. After all, Ducky could hold her breath for a decent amount of time. Littlefoot leads the rest of the group towards the ledge while Bryan moves into a strategic shooting position where he had a direct line of fire.

He crouches behind two boulders which offered him excellent cover against claws and even bullets, and flicks the selector of his rifle to "Fire".

Meanwhile, Ducky silently and nervously creeps into Siegfried's den, a cave located near the ledge where he walked on only moments earlier. She had seen him enter the cave and figured a scream could gather his attention. The young Saurolophus hides behind a boulder and screams at the top of her lungs, causing Siegfried to momentarily turn around. He turns back towards the deeper reaches of the cave and seemingly ignores the scream as he ventured deeper in.

Ducky, figuring that Siegfried had ignored her, attempted to leave but suddenly finds the Tyrannosaurus Rex behind her. She runs out the mouth of the cave, causing the Siegfried to run after her. The Saurolophus yells as she ran towards the water, signaling to the others that the ambush was about to go down. The Tyrannosaurus Rex chases her until she dives under water.

He smells something and looks up the ledge, finding the young dinosaurs positioned behind a boulder. So that's what they have in mind, they wanted to ambush him and push a boulder onto his head. Not like he had anything to say about it. They were smart but not smart enough in his book. Unbeknownst to Siegfried, he was being the dumb one here as Bryan lined the crosshairs of his rifle on the behemoth.

The human fires a single shot which rips through Siegfried's side, penetrating his lungs and barely missing his heart. Siegfried swings in the direction where the bullet came from. His perforated lungs clearly haven't affected him yet but he had yet to see the human either. He knew Bryan was in the vicinity but where? He wasn't with the younglings and nor was he at the cave.

Where was he then?

 _BANG_

A second shot penetrates Siegfried, this time hitting and blinding his left eye. He coils back in pain, unintentionally slamming his head into the ledge and causing Petrie to fall from his position. The Pteranodon, still unable to fly, flaps his wings desperately to gain altitude. Siegfried sees the youngling falling towards him and snarls, exhaling air from his nostrils and thrusting Petrie upwards.

Now with the added airflow, the young Pteranodon flaps with all his might and finally manages to take flight. He takes control of himself and successfully masters the art of flying. It was a personal victory for Petrie but he had no time to celebrate. Siegfried was still alive and he still had a job to do. Meanwhile back in his defensive position, Bryan fires two more shots into the behemoth, striking him in the arms and lower jaw.

Blood was pouring out from the wounds but neither of them seemed to be affecting Siegfried. At that moment the human realized he would have to repeat the same shot he did while fighting Sharptooth; a single bullet into the heart. It was a tricky shot to take, especially since he was at range, armed with an unscoped rifle, and aiming at a moving target.

Nevertheless he takes aim, closes his eyes, and exhales, pausing his respiration as he aligned the sights of his rifle. He pulls the trigger. The moon, Earth, and stars aligned. God blew on the bullet and he gut-shot the jackass right in the heart. Unlike last time, the bullet goes through the heart instead of lodging itself within. It was a fatal blow, one which quickly ends Siegfried's life as he stumbles back.

Littlefoot and the others, push the boulder over the behemoth's head, pushing him face first into the water. The body of water was Siegfried's watery grave, as evidenced by the bubbles emerging from his nostrils as he sank deeper and deeper into the darkness below.

* * *

Things were getting more and more dire for the adult dinosaurs. Their leader Bron still had his leg wedged between the boulders and the lava was closing in on him. It seems as though the male Apatosaurus was done for as his family members desperately tried to free him. Bryan digs through his buttpack, hoping to find something he could use to free the Apatosaurus from the boulders.

As he dug through his stuff, two brick shaped objects fall onto the ground. Both were wrapped with green colored plastic and there was a yellow label.

 _CHARGE DEMOLITION M112  
WITH TAGGANT(1-1/4 LBS COMP C-4)  
MA-04D028-015_

They were C4 explosives which Bryan had acquired through the powers of the Illuminati and had packed for the journey. He hurries over to the boulders and plants both bricks of C4 on the boulders, one on each boulder, and attaches blasting caps to both of them along with detcord. Time for the prehistoric creations of nature to taste human technology for the first time.

 _WHAAM_

The high velocity explosive obliterates the boulder, leaving only fragments behind. Bron was free from his "cell of doom" and he quickly makes his way back towards the herd with his wife. Oddly his mother and father in law did not follow him. The Apatosaurus turns around and finds, much to his horror, that the two elderly Sauropods were stuck on a rapidly crumbling piece of earth which was encircled by lava on all sides.

There was no way for them to get across. Both of them were too heavy to jump and the gap between them and safe ground grew bigger and bigger as the seconds went by. They were doomed and the two accepted their fate. Littlefoot however, thought differently. Despite his parents pleading him not to go back for his grandparents, the young Apatosaurus makes a leap for it and manages to land on a boulder which was surrounded by lava.

He was about to leap towards his grandparents when the ground underneath them gave way. Littlefoot and his family could only watch in horror as the two elderly Apatosauruses disappeared in the sea of molten lava. And now the young one faced an even bigger problem. The boulder he stood on was also starting to crumble and if he didn't jump to safety soon , he too would end up in the same steaming grave as his grandparents.

Bron and his wife, knowing their son could not make such a leap, craned their heads down near the boulder, forming a temporary bridge for Littlefoot to cross. The young Apatosaurus hesitates at first but overcomes his fear of falling and runs across his parents' long necks. Once their son made it to safety, the adult Apatosaurus made their own escape from the rapidly approaching lava tide.

The female was the first to start moving and she made it to safety. Bron however wasn't so lucky. As he turned around towards the herd members, a tree, felled by a nearby forest fire started by the lava, knocked him onto his side and into the burning lava pool. He didn't even have a chance to scream in pain before his life was literally burnt away from his body.

Littlefoot was shocked and horrified. His misjudgment had cost the lives of not only his grandparents but that of his father as well. Now only his mother remained and this shocked the youngling to the point where his mother had to literally carry him on her back as the adults and the rescue party made a mad dash towards the ledge which led them out of the forest and onto the Great Valley trail.

They manage to get to the ledge and escape without an issue but just when the herd thought they were safe, Talia appears out of nowhere and assaults them. Bryan was the first she went after but the Tyrannosaurus Rex wasn't interested in killing him. She just wanted him out of the fight and merely thwacked him into a boulder. The human was dazed upon impact and he struggled to focus.

In the meantime, the widow of Sharptooth focuses her attack on one particular member of the group; Littlefoot's mother. If she could kill the female Apatosaurus, she would bring a world of emotional hurt to Littlefoot, one of the young dinosaurs involved in the downing of her husband. Talia knocks her foe onto her side and clamps down on her neck, mortally wounding her.

She was about to finish the job when Bryan unleashed a hail of machine gun fire her way at point blank range. No less than fifty bullets penetrated Talia's chest, and five of them struck her heart. The rest perforated her lungs and caused internal bleeding. The Tyrannosaurus Rex was done for. Like her foe, she was mortally wounded. The only difference was that she would die much quicker than the female Apatosaurus, mainly due to the fact that her heart was struck and she was drowning in her own blood.


	11. I'll Take You In

**Chapter 10  
I'll Take You In**

There was the sound of laughter in the mostly empty Great Valley. Littlefoot and his friends have made it to the paradise of the land along with their human companion. All they've given so far was worth it. Fresh flowing water supplied by a giant waterfall known as the Thundering Falls, and a never ending supply of greenery was the reward they've earned.

Countless days of travel and near fatal encounters have led them to paradise. They say if life throws a lot of shit your way, it means something great would come. If darkness is all you see, keep walking. There is always light at the end of a long dark tunnel. Though their parents have yet to arrive, the young dinosaurs were more than ready to care for themselves for the time being.

They had no need to search for a good, fertile patch of land. Here in the great valley, it was like a giant natural supermarket for the herbivores. What they ate came down to their own choices. Bryan on the other hand, found himself some respectable real estate and began building a small shack with the aid of his Illuminati powers. A hologram projected from his Illuminati ring allowed him to design his shack's size and interior layout as well as its construction material.

His design incorporated building materials offered by mother nature; wood and logs. It was medium sized and the amenities included a kitchen, living room, sleeping mat and pillows, an Illuminati Portal, as well as a small shed connected to the shack. This was where he kept most of his guns, ammunition, and maintenance accessories for his house and firearms. The entrance to his shed was a single door but his shack had a double door entrance.

The double doors were to accommodate larger visitors, like Littlefoot and his friends for example. As Bryan sits down in the living room of his shack, reading a book, Littlefoot suddenly barges in. It was clear he had something to say to his adoptive father.

 **"** **Yes, Littlefoot?"** the human said.

 **"** **Dad, do you you think my biological parents are still alive?"** he asked.

 **"** **Oh, I can't be sure. I'm not a god."**

 **"** **But you're a human."**

 **"** **And?"**

 **"** **You humans have all these things you can use to do stuff like defend yourself and build places to live."**

 **"** **Littlefoot…"** Bryan chuckles as he places his book on the coffee table of his living room. **"We humans certainly do invent things to ease our lives but that doesn't mean we know where everyone is."**

 **"** **Let's say IF someone does find my mom and dad alive. Would you help me find them?"**

 **"** **Of course."**

 **"** **Oh I can't wait!"** Littlefoot jumps for joy. **"The day when I finally can talk to my mom and dad would be the best day of my life!"**

Bryan smiled as he watched the young Apatosaurus rejoining his friends outside the shack. Though he did feel a bit reluctant to leave Littlefoot, the human knew his adoptive son would be better off with his biological parents than him, especially since he was a human and not a dinosaur.

* * *

Littlefoot slowly approaches his mother, who was lying on her side and gasping for air. There wasn't much time left for her and there was nothing Bryan or the herd members could do to help. The young Apatosaurus however, could not come to terms with the fact that his mother was mortally wounded and dying. Even when he reached her side, Littlefoot still thought there was hope for his mother.

The female Apatosaurus gives a faint smile as her son nuzzled her in the muzzle. Silence filled the air as mother and son eyed each other for a few moments. Nothing could be heard apart from the sound of wheezing. Slowly, the female opens her mouth to speak.

 **"** **Littlefoot…"** she said. **"You've found the Great Valley haven't you?"**

 **"** **Yes, mother."** The youngling replied. **"I have."**

 **"** **Tell me, my little one. How does it look like?"**

 **"** **There's fresh flowing water and lots of green food. More than enough for all of us. I don't think we can finish it either."** Littlefoot raises his eyebrows in confusion. **"But you are going to see the valley yourself, why are you asking me to describe the valley for you?"**

 **"** **Because I'm dying, Littlefoot."**

 **"** **No mother, you're not."**

 **"** **I am, Littlefoot. Talia's bite was…"**

The mother paused as she struggled for breath. Blood was pouring down her windpipe from the wounds, courtesy of Talia's teeth. She knew she had little time left and decides to go straight to the point.

 **"** **Promise me you'll carry on living."** She weakly muttered to her son.

 **"** **Mother no, you can't go."** Littlefoot pleaded. **"I've already lost my dad and grandparents today. I can't lose you too."**

 **"** **Promise me, Littlefoot."**

 **"** **Mother…"**

 **"** **Promise… Me."**

 **"** **I promise…"**

A faint smile could be seen on the female Apatosaurus' face as she let out her final breath of air. It was her final breath of life. She was gone, and now Littlefoot was alone once again. His reunion with his family had been brutally cut short by Talia's thirst for revenge. Tears began streaming down Littlefoot's face as he walked back towards the rest of the herd. He still couldn't believe today's events were true and neither could he control his emotions.

Despite this, he somehow managed to keep himself moving with the rest of the herd as they made their way back to the Great Valley. Upon arrival, the adult dinosaurs gasped in amazement as they saw the view of the valley for the first time. It was just like what the riddle said. There was fresh flowing water and an endless supply of vegetation for the herbivores to feed on.

As they entered the valley, Cera nuzzles her father while Ducky and her parents rejoice. Spike was now their older sibling, having been adopted by the adults of the Saurolophus family. Within the treeline, Petrie reunites with his family. They did not follow him out on the rescue mission but had heard of the dangers he faced. All of them were glad that he returned without a scratch.

Cradled in Bryan's hand, Lima nuzzles her adoptive father. Before, she was a loner wandering through the treacherous depths of the mysterious beyond but now she had a father looking after her. The male human might not have been her biological father nor a dinosaur but at least she had someone to turn to in the time of need. But for Littlefoot, things were just not the same without his parents and grandparents.

Unlike his human companion, who returned home to find a bloodied crime scene and his dead mother and brother, Littlefoot saw his grandparents and father burn up in the ocean of lava and he was with his mother during her final moments. The young Apatosaurus didn't have the mood to play nor chat with his friends. He merely entered Bryan's shack and sat down at the sleeping area usually occupied by the human.

Meanwhile in the shed, Bryan was offloading the M60 tripod he mounted on Cera during the rescue mission along with the heavy gear she was lugging around. Finally she could ditch the heavy gear and rejoin her family. Just then, Topsy approaches the two of them. Unlike last time, he did not present himself as a hostile and bigoted individual but a friendly and caring one.

 **"** **Sorry about what happened during our first encounter, human."** He said. **"And thank you for taking care of Cera."**

 **"** **Just doing my job."** Bryan smiled as he removed his gear. **"But I suppose you came here more than just to talk to me."**

 **"** **Yeah."**

The Triceratops motions towards Bryan's shack. No he wasn't bothered by the human structure; he was concerned for Littlefoot.

 **"** **My shack?"**

 **"** **No, Littlefoot."**

 **"** **Yeah…"** he sighed. **"Littlefoot's story is a sad one I must admit."**

 **"** **Indeed. He lost his entire family in one single day, and he saw all of them die in front of him."**

 **"** **I can't imagine how that must feel. Yeah, my family got slaughtered by a crazed jackass but I didn't see them die."**

 **"** **Question now is who will adopt him."**

 **"** **I was his adoptive father before."**

 **"** **You were?"**

 **"** **Before we found out you guys were alive and well."**

 **"** **Then I guess we won't need to move him around."**

 **"** **No sir, we don't."**

 **"** **Well then, I shall not interrupt you any further."** The Triceratops turns towards his daughter. **"Come on Cera, let's go home."**

 **"** **Okay daddy."** She replied.

Without further words spoke between either of the three, they parted ways. Topsy and his daughter returned to the area where they stayed while Bryan entered his shack. Upon reentry, he noticed his adoptive daughter Lima trying to comfort Littlefoot, though she was having little to no effect on the youngling's spirit.

 **"** **Daddy, Littlefoot won't…"** Lima stated.

 **"** **I know."** He nodded before turning his attention towards Littlefoot. **"Littlefoot."**

Silence was the response given by the young Apatosaurus.

 **"** **Littlefoot!"** he raised his voice.

 **"** **My family…"** Littlefoot sobbed. **"They're gone! GONE!"**

Bryan wraps his hand around Littlefoot's neck and hugs him, trying his best to comfort the young Apatosaurus. He takes a piece of cloth and wipes the tears off Littlefoot's eyes as he continued to cry.

 **"** **Now no one would care for me anymore."** Littlefoot gloomily stated.

 **"** **Of course not, silly."** Bryan smiles as he stroked the youngling on the forehead. **"I'll take you in."**

 **"** **B-But I recognized my biological parents as my parents."**

 **"** **You may have been my adoptive son and you may have ditched me in favor of your biological parents but I never did ditch you. I've made a vow to help you in any way I can and adopting you is the best thing I can do right now. You're too young to live on your own and I'd be more than happy to offer some parental love."**

 **"** **Thanks…"** the young Apatosaurus nuzzles his adoptive father in the chest. **"Dad."**

A few moments later, the whole family was embracing each other. Littlefoot, Lima, and Bryan huddled together and hugged, giving each other comfort. The events that have happened taught them one very important lesson; always cherish the moments you spend with your loved ones, especially your parents and family members. That night, the three spent some family time together in the living room, chatting with each other and watching Magnum PI on the television set, which was connected to a DVD player.

But while the movie night helped the three ease their thoughts about the past and look ahead, something still bothered Bryan. Before Talia died, he had approached her to remind her that her husband's reign of terror was over but she had another surprise for him. Before Sharptooth died, he and Talia managed to conceive a child. Since taking a young hatchling around with her as she killed for sport was not a terribly good idea, she gave her son away to another family who was willing to adopt him. And now a gut feeling told Bryan the youngling was still well and alive.

 **"** **Guys…"** he suddenly spoke. **"Ours or rather, my business is still not done yet."**

 **"** **Huh?"** his adoptive children said at once.

 **"** **Before Talia died she told me she and Sharptooth had a baby. And that baby was adopted by another family. The herbivores call him Chomper because, well he chomps things up yet speaks in their language."**

 **"** **Great."** Littlefoot gimmicked. **"What now?"**

 **"** **We might have to track him down soon. Not now, but soon."**

Littlefoot and Lima glared at each other. If Sharptooth's son was out there, would he try to exact revenge as well? If so, then who would he bring? No, if he did want to exact revenge would he decide to assault and destroy the Great Valley to achieve his goal? Neither of them had an answer but they did not want to know. They dread to see the day when the paradise of the land they live in becomes a hell hole.

They hoped Chomper wasn't the kind to take revenge but who knows? Only time would tell. For the time being at least, they had a beautiful valley to enjoy and relax in.


End file.
